“It's not really talked about as often as it should be”: Gracie Gold and media coverage of athlete mental health

Abstract

In 2017, Olympic figure skater Gracie Gold shocked the nation by announcing that she was stepping away from the sport to seek treatment for mental health issues. This paper evaluates the ways by which journalists framed Gold’s mental health struggles. As one of the first athletes to speak out about her anxiety, depression and experiences with body image in the digital age, Gold is a worthwhile case study. Through a textual analysis of 51 articles, we found that media coverage was generally positive and framed Gold as a role model for speaking out about her mental health struggles. Specifically, coverage praised Gold for being an advocate for better mental health resources for athletes, increasing the visibility of mental health issues, helping to redefine Olympic success, and exemplifying the search for purpose outside of sports. However, coverage sometimes discussed mental health issues in ways that reinforced stereotypes. Particularly relevant is that many of these stereotypes were grounded in notions of Whiteness and femininity. This study indicates a correlation between the growing acceptance of discussion of athlete mental health, in line with larger societal attitudes, and resulting media coverage. It also points to ways by which Gold’s race and gender factor into this the frames journalists chose to employ.